Chapter 92 : Chapter 92

Chapter 92: Beneath the Branch of the World Tree (5)

We cautiously approached the fairy territory.

Nihel scouted ahead first. Its large size made stealth impossible.

Moreover, Nihel was a sacred beast known to all in Kipaso.

Thus, even if it roamed openly through the burning forest, it didn’t cause major issues.

After Nihel returned from scouting, it conversed with Bea.

“There are four fairy warriors ahead. Let’s detour to the right.”

“Understood.”

I couldn’t comprehend how Bea and Nihel communicated.

At some point, Nihel stopped growling, yet they communicated flawlessly.

They seemed to understand each other’s intentions with just a glance.

We moved forward more cautiously, our words growing fewer.

The approach was smoother than expected.

But things didn’t stay easy for long.

“…Nihel, did a fairy attack you?”

Nihel, sent to patrol, returned with an arrow embedded in its flank.

Bright red blood flowed down its white fur.

The wound wasn’t deep, but I hadn’t expected fairies to attack Nihel.

I was taken aback and Bea seemed shocked too.

It was a moment that revealed the depth of the fairies’ anger.

Even a sacred beast that had protected Kipaso for over 300 years and joined expeditions couldn’t escape their wrath.

But Bea quickly regained her composure.

“Nihel has always been closer to elves than fairies. It must have seemed suspicious to them, prowling near their territory.”

Bea spoke as she crushed herbs and applied them to Nihel’s wound.

She had seemed full of worry before we set out, but once resolved, she judged situations calmly.

“Then let’s change our strategy. Let’s move together with Nihel-nim.”

“That’s a good idea.”

So we proceeded more cautiously, but soon the situation we dreaded unfolded.

“Prepare for battle!”

No matter how careful we were, avoiding all combat was impossible.

The closer we got to the fairy territory, the more fairies we encountered, their numbers growing exponentially.

We could no longer avoid fighting.

We took our pre-planned positions.

I took the front, Bea the rear.

Nihel, lacking confidence in subduing without killing, stayed by Bea’s side to support her.

Fwoosh!

Arrows rained from all directions.

I deflected those I could with my sword and blocked others with [Intangible Armor].

Countless enemies charged at us with killing intent.

But we couldn’t respond in kind.

We defended as much as possible, creating openings, then used [Fear] to knock them out.

But our strength was inevitably waning.

The deeper we went, the stronger the fairies became and their attack patterns grew more varied.

Before, they fired arrows and sent swift fighters to charge, a simple tactic.

But now, they used guided or silent arrows to exploit our gaps, and when that failed, they summoned fire spirits to burn us.

We could no longer hold back.

If this continued, we’d die before reaching the fairy territory.

“Argh!”

A fairy screamed.

My sword had sliced through its ankle.

It stared at me with wide, trembling eyes, and I struck its neck with the side of my hand.

Thwack!

The fairy collapsed, unconscious.

“…Didn’t you say not to kill?”

“I didn’t kill it. Can I borrow some herbs?”

Bea, catching her breath, handed me herbs from her pouch.

I applied them to the fairy’s ankle.

As the moist herbs soaked into the wound, the bleeding gradually stopped.

“Is this a mix of Rakden leaves and Sorukan roots?”

“You know a lot. Do humans usually know such things?”

“Well, not all of them.”

The effort of mulling over daily quests and gathering plants since birth had paid off.

Even in processed form, I could identify the raw materials.

In Tune World, combining those two didn’t make herbs.

Noting this new information brought a small sense of satisfaction.

While I was enjoying this minor amusement amidst the war, an arrow flew from behind.

Thud!

It wasn’t a fairy’s arrow—Bea had shot it.

A fairy sneaking up silently was pinned to a tree, an arrow through its shoulder.

Surprised, I looked at Bea, who pouted and approached the fairy.

Thwack!

She knocked it out and applied herbs.

She was a quick-learning elf.

From then on, we adjusted our approach.

We attacked ‘without killing,’ targeting limbs and applying herbs to downed fairies as we advanced.

Only Nihel, lacking confidence in non-lethal attacks, occasionally growled.

This time, I could understand its growls—likely expressing discontent.

But as we pressed forward, the fairies’ onslaught left us no time to apply herbs.

Our progress slowed, and we were gradually wearing down.

As we painstakingly advanced toward the fairy territory,

“Wait.”

I stopped Bea and Nihel.

I felt an immensely powerful presence.

The fairies leading the squads we occasionally encountered were noticeably stronger, but this presence was on another level.

‘At least Bea’s level.’

Bea and Nihel crouched low, scanning ahead.

After staring intently, Bea spoke softly.

“…Raldetun.”

A name I’d never heard.

I looked at Bea and she sighed before explaining.

“The son of the Fairy King and the rightful heir of the fairies. The Malevolent Spirit, Raldetun.”

Soon, a fairy emerged from the forest, an axe slung over his shoulder.

He wore a gaudy necklace, dripping with blood—what I thought were ornaments were elf ears.

Some, judging by the dripping blood, were freshly cut.

Grind.

Bea clenched her teeth.

* * *

The Malevolent Spirit, Raldetun.

I didn’t know what kind of behavior earned a fairy the title of ‘Malevolent Spirit.’

No, seeing his necklace, I understood immediately.

He had quite a gruesome hobby.

I turned to look at Bea.

Her eyes, bloodshot, glared at Raldetun with cold fury.

“Let’s run. He’s strong.”

But Bea quickly regained her composure and made a rational judgment.

However, I couldn’t follow her decision.

[Ghost Eye] had detected something odd about Raldetun.

‘Demonic Energy… So the demons are involved.’

The Demonic Energy flickering in the fairy’s body.

It didn’t seem like Demonic Energy from a wound sustained fighting a demonic beast.

The amount of Demonic Energy coursing through the Malevolent Spirit was too significant for that.

Bea seemed to think my silence was hesitation about whether to retreat.

“I know you’re strong. But Raldetun is on another level. He’s a malevolent spirit itself.”

She turned to leave.

But I grabbed her wrist.

“Don’t you want to avenge your kin?”

“I told you, Raldetun is strong. And extremely belligerent.”

“If you want revenge, I’ll help. I happen to have some questions for him.”

“….”

Bea took time to decide.

She’d do well once resolved, though.

But we didn’t have much time.

Raldetun was already scanning the forest. Just as we sensed his presence, he’d likely sense ours.

Even crouching, Nihel stood out too much.

Since it had been seen fighting with us, the fairies probably knew Nihel was with us.

“Let’s do it. Revenge.”

The moment Bea decided, I sprang up, channeling mana.

“Wait! What’s the plan? We need a strategy!”

“If I’m stronger, we don’t need one.”

No, I had a plan.

Overwhelm Raldetun with sheer power.

My Dragon Heart, as if frustrated from holding back, thumped loudly, amplifying my mana.

Even I acknowledged Raldetun’s strength. He wasn’t someone I could defeat without aura.

But if I didn’t hold back, he wasn’t unbeatable either.

The moment I stood, Raldetun and the fairies around him spotted us.

Nihel, unable to hold back any longer, leaped to my side.

Without Bea.

Then, a massive fire spirit appeared before Raldetun.

It shot a tree-trunk-sized flame at us.

Fwoosh!

The flame struck Nihel directly.

Even I, nearby, felt intense heat.

“Nihel!”

Bea ran over, alarmed.

Until now, fairies had avoided attacking Nihel when possible. But the fire spirit by Raldetun’s side had no such reservations.

Nihel, pushed back by the impact, shook itself and regained its stance.

“Run! It’s the Fire Spirit King, Selion!”

Bea shouted, but I countered.

“No! Nihel-nim, I’ll handle that ugly fairy. You and Bea-nim take care of the others. Don’t kill them.”

Awooo!

Before I finished, Nihel shot forward like an arrow.

Nihel, a sacred beast that had lived since the Adjak era.

Even a Fire Spirit King’s attack wouldn’t kill it in one blow.

From my time with Arandir, I knew.

The Fire Spirit King, Selion, wasn’t here in its true form.

‘Nihel can handle it.’

As if proving its resilience, Nihel let out another howl. Flames lingered on its white fur, but they only singed it.

Unfazed, Nihel bit a fairy near Raldetun.

Then, with a twist of its head, it slammed the fairy into a rock.

“Calling me an ugly fairy? Arrogant human.”

Raldetun approached, twirling his axe.

“I am the son of the Fairy King, the next Fairy King! Raldetun!”

It felt like an untimely introduction, but it wasn’t bad.

I needed to etch my name into those present.

“I am Polarin, heir of Adjak, half-human, half-dragon.”

After the exchange of names, Raldetun gave a sly smile.

I walked forward expressionlessly.

“Bea-nim, watch. See how I fight properly.”

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